Mayes Middleton edged out Rep. Chip Roy for the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general after a bruising, expensive runoff that leaned heavily on MAGA credentials and campaign cash. Middleton poured roughly $17 million of his own money into the race while Roy pushed his courtroom and prosecutorial experience as a contrast. The contest exposed tensions within the party over who best represents President Trump’s agenda and who is ready to step into Ken Paxton’s shoes.
Middleton, a state senator and oil and gas company president, framed the race as a fight against the left and cast himself as a proven conservative warrior. He leaned on his public support for President Trump and the America First movement to draw a clear line with voters. That message, backed with deep personal funding, gave him the edge in the March runoff.
Roy, a congressman with a record of conservative votes and experience in legal roles, hammered Middleton on practical courtroom chops. “Having been the first assistant attorney general makes me ready on day one, but it’s also that I’ve been a prosecutor, I’ve been in court, I’ve sat in front of a judge, stood in front of a judge, argued cases, and he has never done any of those things. And we think those things should matter,” he said, trying to paint the matchup as experience versus money.
Money was a clear divider. Middleton dished out roughly $17 million of his own funds to power ads and outreach, while Roy leaned on late surges from major backers to stay competitive. “We’ve gotten the financial support necessary to compete with my self-funder opponent, who’s got his inheritance money that he can just spend,” Roy said, highlighting the fundraising dynamics that shaped the runoff.
Middleton responded by questioning Roy’s loyalty to Trump and the movement that has energized the GOP base. “Chip Roy is someone that has spent a decade fighting the president. He actually said President Trump committed impeachable conduct on the House floor,” Middleton said, pointing to moments where Roy broke from Trump. Middleton argued his decade-long focus on defeating the left was the record voters should reward.
Roy pushed back hard on the branding strategy. “Everyone knows that I’m a longtime defender and supporter of the president’s agenda, of the America First agenda, the MAGA agenda, but I’m also an independent thinker who will stand up and make the case,” he said, underscoring his claim that loyalty and independent judgment can coexist. He also warned that some conservatives try to buy the movement instead of earning it: “MAGA is not something you just buy. My opponent thinks you can buy the brand.”
Middleton did not let those charges stand unchallenged. “Chip Roy is putting out there that he is a top ally to President Trump when the exact opposite is the case,” he fired back, keeping the fight focused on who truly represents MAGA principles. The back-and-forth signaled a larger argument within the GOP about authenticity versus political posturing.
The primary also drew outside endorsements and attention from heavyweight conservatives, and the campaign saw spikes in late fundraising and support on both sides. Ted Cruz publicly backed Roy during the contest, adding a notable conservative endorsement to the congressman’s effort. Despite that, Middleton’s self-funded offensive and appeals to grassroots MAGA voters proved decisive in the runoff.
Trump himself remained neutral through the runoff, leaving Texas voters to sort through competing claims of conservatism and readiness. With Ken Paxton stepping away from re-election to run for the Senate, the attorney general slot became a highly visible prize in statewide Republican politics. Middleton now looks likely to face Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson, who nearly clinched his party’s nomination, in the general election.
The campaign left clear lines in Texas Republican politics: those who emphasize courtroom experience and institutional fights, and those who stress allegiance to Trump and the larger America First project. Voters chose Middleton’s brand of energized conservatism and deep-pocketed campaigning this time. As the general election approaches, the stage is set for another classic Texas matchup along those same fault lines.
